A Gentle Family Journey Through Beautiful Panama

Arrive Panama City, capital of Panama in the early evening. You will be met on your arrival and transfer to your accommodation.

Board an expedition boat and explore Gatun Lake, passing by gigantic cargo ships transiting the Panama Canal. Along the way spot green iguana, three-toed sloth, caiman, osprey, snail kite and keel-billed toucan, and look out for white-faced capuchin, mantled howler monkey, Central American spider monkey, and Geoffroy’s tamarind. Then visit the Miraflores Lock visitor centre.

After breakfast transfer to El Corotu on the shores of Madden Lake. Board a motorised canoe and travel up the Chagres River, through the rainforest of Chagres National Park, to the Embera indigenous village of Embera Drua. En route look out for herons, kingfishers, cormorants, anhingas, ospreys and toucans. Learn about Embera customs, including a chance to be painted with the natural dye the Embera use to adorn their bodies, and after a traditional lunch return to Panama City.

Transfer to Albrook domestic airport

Met on arrival and transfer to your accommodation close to Boquete in the cloud-forested Chiriqui Highlands.

In the morning enjoy the Tree Trek zipline. The Tree Trek starts with a short drive up to1,853 metres in Los Quetzales National Park, and a 200 metre walk down to the first platform. From here there are a series of 12 zip lines which traverse the lush cloud forest over a rushing mountain stream. The longest line is 410 metres.

In the afternoon enjoy a coffee tour at one of the main coffee growers in the region. Visit the coffee fields to learn about harvesting, the processing plant where the beans are washed, dried and selected, and the factory where the beans are roasted and bagged, or ground for sale. The tour finishes with a tasting of some of the coffee varieties.

After breakfast hike the Sendero La Cascada (The Waterfall Trail). At an altitude of 2,286 metres this trail passes through the lush cloud forest of Baru Volcano National Park. Birdlife is plentiful and includes the elusive resplendent quetzal and three-wattled bellbird. Spend the afternoon relaxing in the town.

In the morning drive up through the cloud forest and across the Continental Divide, leaving the Pacific behind and descending through the forest to the pineapple fields and banana plantations of the Caribbean.

En route visit Fortuna Dam, and the indigenous community of Silico Creek where the villagers will show the whole chocolate making process from tree to finished product.

Arriving at Almirante in the afternoon it is a short boat transfer to Bocas del Toro on Colon Island in the Bocas del Toro Archipelago.

In the early morning take a boat to Boca del Drago and weather permitting visit Swan’s Cay, a rookery for red-billed tropic birds (the only location in Panama where they can be found) and brown boobies.

Return to Bocas del Toro, stopping at mangrove isles and coral reefs to snorkel. The afternoon is at leisure to relax and enjoy the facilities at the resort.

Head by boat to the eastern side of Bastimentos Island which is part of the Bastimentos National Marine Park. Visit the indigenous community of Salt Creek where the villagers have created a number of rainforest trails. Wildlife includes the golden-collared manakin, night monkeys, white-faced capuchins, three-toed sloth, spectacled caiman, slider turtle, and the flaming poison dart frog.

After the hike visit the community, perhaps purchase some handicrafts, and enjoy a simple lunch.

In the afternoon snorkel among mangroves and coral reefs before returning to Bocas del Toro.

Enjoy a morning at leisure to relax or explore on your own.

In the afternoon transfer to the airport and fly to Albrook domestic airport, Panama City and on to your hotel.

The morning is at leisure to relax, do any last minute shopping, or perhaps Panama City’s Casco Viejo old town or the Amador Causeway on your own.

In the afternoon transfer to Tocumen International Airport for the flight home

Fly home